“两个叶子”

[ipsi()]

I'm trying to translate a poem by 废名, and the last line goes something like this:

我的诗情没有两个叶子。

And I'm not sure what that means. The whole poem looks like this:

我说给江南诗人写一封信去，

乃窥见院子里一株树叶的疏影，

他们写了日午一封信。

我想写一首诗，

犹如日，犹如月，

犹如午阴，

犹如无边落木萧萧下，

我的诗情没有两个叶子。

There's a few bits that confuse me, primarily 乃 － it's in a couple of other poems as well, and it confuses me, along with the last line. I'm sure it's a metaphor or something, but I don't really get it. Anyone able to help me out here? Not looking for help with the rest of it, just 乃 and the last line.

Thanks in advance!

[skylee]

I can't help you with your questions. But it looks like that it should be 兩片葉子 instead of 兩個葉子.

[skylee]

I've found this which might be helpful to you.

《寄之琳》篇幅并不长,然而不少地方都有着旧诗影子｡首句“我说给江南诗人写一封信去”是起兴之句,“江南诗人”是指卞之琳无疑,这个地名也有着某种古典意味｡提到江南,常常会想起烟雨､水乡,比如“江南好,风景旧曾谙｡日出江花红胜火,春来江水绿如蓝｡能不忆江南”等等｡如果是一般诗歌,紧接着可能会描写江南风景,或者回忆和江南诗人相聚的日子,然而废名却不其然｡诗人想写一封信给卞之琳,却没有立刻动笔,在他抬头的时候,不经意望到了“树”“乃窥见院子里一株树叶的疏影”｡事实上,诗人并没有直接看见树本身,他看见的不是一棵完整的树｡“一株树叶的疏影”读来似乎不通,但这是诗的语言,请求想象空间,换言之,我们可以从它能启发多少联想来加以分析,试看:

联想方式一:“我看见院子里一堆树叶投射在地下那零落交叠的重影｡”在这里,诗人看见了树的影子｡(乃窥见/院子里/一株树叶/的疏影)

联想方式二:“我看见院子里有一株树,还有它投射在地下叶子的疏影｡”在这里,诗人先看见树,然后被它叶子的影子吸引住了｡(乃窥见/院子里/一株树/叶的疏影)

两种联想方式是因为两种不同的句读,把它们结合起来看,微妙的是,原来两种都读错了｡应该这样说,单独来看,哪一种句读都不能完全反映诗人想要说出的意象,只有用“一株树叶的疏影”这种在白话文中看似怪异不通的结构,才能使其意义饱满｡事实上,这句诗正是用文言句式写成,“乃窥见”是古文结构自不待提,俞曲园《古书疑义举例》第五十条论《古书发端之词例》即以《周官•小司徒》及《尚书•尧典》为例证之,此不赘言｡“一株树叶的疏影”经过上文分析,包含两种句读方式,意象交织互见,这也是古人文法“举此以见彼例”,所谓“举一隅不以三隅反,则不复也”｡如《左传》昭四年“左师献公合诸侯之礼六,子产献伯､子､男会公之礼六”,其中“公合诸侯”的意思即兼有“公､侯､伯､子､男”五爵了｡这种省略的古文技巧同样出现在《寄之琳》一诗中｡读者在“一株树”､“树叶”､“树叶的疏影”､“一株树叶”里打转,最后得出的印象不是其中任何一者,而是一幅指涉“院子里的树”该主题的活生生的全景图像,如果撕裂来理解这幅图像,只能得其一偏,并得出诗人文法不通(当然是白话文文法)之结论｡

“他们写了日午一封信”｡“日午”回应了上句树叶有影的事实｡这句句法应读作“他们(在)日午写了一封信”｡这里“他们”所指不能解实｡从首句到第二句“乃窥见院子里一株树叶的疏影”是强烈的转折,读者本来集中注意于诗人写信一事,刹那间环境已转到院子里的树叶与影,这种突兀感在第三句得到继承｡不能解实的“他们”,这个不知何处来､乃至不知是人是物的“他们”,在日午写了一封信｡于是我们又回到写信这件事上了｡那么中间那一句夹进去的院子里的树叶呀､影呀､树呀,都跑到哪儿去了呢?在“甲——乙——甲”的三层结构中,中间那一层已经迷失了,本来感觉真实的院子与树被移进了太虚幻境｡虚无缥缈的“他们”为诗营造出禅的气氛,而这种禅意并非源自清新淡雅,而是由一层层错愕所带来的迷思叠成｡

我想写一首诗,

犹如日,犹如月,

犹如午阴,

犹如无边落木萧萧下,——

第三句谈到写信,下一句已经变成写诗了｡是诗人诗兴大发吗?我们再看下去,原来这首诗并不容易写,日､月､午阴､落叶……这些就是诗人(构思)写信时注意到的东西,现在,他要写诗了｡四个“犹如”有一种回味不尽的拖曳感,令我们觉得他快要写成了｡是的,诗写完了,以一种无比突兀的方式:“我的诗情没有两片叶子”｡诗人在诗里想写的诗没写成,这首诗却写完了｡他写不出能够带起“日”､“月”､“午阴”､“无边落木萧萧下”诸如此类感觉的诗,因为在第二句那个太虚幻境的院子里,树叶和影子用自身写出了一首完美的诗,诗人的诗情比不上两片叶子｡

这个结尾很突然,也很吊胃口,你可以说他写得直,也可以说他故弄玄虚｡然而重要的是过程｡在读诗的路途中,连续的错愕使我们处处撞墙,最后却轻易地逃出来,或者应该说被作者释放了出来｡

[Lethe]

"树叶和影子用自身写出了一首完美的诗,诗人的诗情比不上两片叶子"

This sentence points out that the poet thinks his poems or his ability shall never reach the nature itself( two leaves may refer to the nature).

But I'm not sure whether it is what the poet thinks.

here "乃"=then

in ancient Chinese,"乃" has quite many meanings besides this.

"乃"=you,your， “家祭无忘告乃翁”（陆游《示儿》）

"乃"=but,(I cant think of an example)

"乃"=is,(the most common meaning.you can find "此乃..." everywhere)

But here,I think it feels awful..."不伦不类" is exact what I feel.

btw:about the essay you found,I have something to say.

this remark says the first sentence is 起兴

but according to what I learned before, 兴 is an age-old skill: mention a different object at first which has a indirectly same quality with your emphasis.

I think the first sentence is just an explanation for the matter,not something more.

And the quotes of the remark(《左传》昭四年云云), I think, is not enough to prove his point.At least I feel they are weak.(maybe it's just a way to show off his knowledge)

btw2:I dont like most modern chinese poems.They feels artificial and lack of flavor,compared with ancient ones.